Pakistan hints at ending NATO blockade "within a week"

Malaysia Sun (ANI) Friday 3rd February, 2012

Pakistan has hinted at ending the NATO blockade possibly "within a week", which lasted for over two months in protest against the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said reporters that parliament, tasked with adopting the review, would "hopefully" meet next week.

"I cannot pre-empt what the parliament is going to decide but I would assume that should not be so much of a problem," The News quoted her, as saying.

"I'm going to hopefully ensure and push it very hard that it is no later than within a week... first half of February is probable," she added.

She said Pakistan would encourage Afghan insurgent groups like the Haqqani Network and the Taliban to pursue peace if asked by Afghanistan. Khar also said that the Afghan reconciliation process was active on several fronts, but was far from producing results.

Pakistan's fragile alliance with the United States stooped down to new lows after the NATO attack in Pakistan's tribal areas killed 24 of the country's troops. fficials in the northwest, where the main Torkham crossing into Afghanistan is situated, had said last December that there were no plans of reopening the border then.

"There is strong public resentment. People are angry about this incident and we cannot take a decision in haste," a senior security official had said.

"Pakistan will reopen the border when public anger cools down and the route is protected," he added. (ANI)